The Charge

Ten films to celebrate gay pride!

The Case

The Cinema Pride Collection gathers together ten of the best GLBT
films in the MGM library, and packages them all together in a cardboard slip
case that sports rainbow colors. Is it worth being proud of? Certainly! It's a
solid gathering of important queer films including six comedies, four dramas,
and a parade of big stars and Oscar winners as well as quiet indie flicks that
caught lots of attention. When viewed as a whole it's a documented journey that
shows us how far the movement has come in fifty years. You start off with a
black and white film that never even says the word "lesbian" or
"gay," and nine movies later wrap it up with a comedy where the lead
girl's mother actually approves of her girlfriend encouraging her lifestyle. You
see gay go from painful hushed secret to flamboyant celebration, but all along
the way are reminders that prejudice is still something we have to fight. These
ten films are only available all together at Amazon as of this writing, so let's
take a look at why you should show your pride and click the link in the upper
right hand corner to buy.

Spoiler Alert! I'll be discussing the endings of the films
below.

#1 The Children's Hour (1961) This landmark black and white
drama adapted Lillian Hellman's classic stage play for the screen, and made it a
lot less shocking. The language and situations are hardly as frank as the play
depicts. They definitely took some of the teeth out of it due to some concerns
about presenting homosexuality on the big screen. But it's still great to see
Audrey Hepburn (Breakfast at Tiffany's) play off of Shirley MacLaine
(Terms of Endearment) as they take on the roles of two girls' school
teachers accused of having an "unnatural" relationship. There's not a
happy ending, and it's an intriguing drama that holds up as a reminder of a time
when gay only meant shame and sorrow for a movie character. The word
"lesbian" is never even uttered, only the euphemisms such as
"unnatural." It's certainly keeping its pride in the closet, but such
a landmark movie deserves to be seen. I guess we can thankfully celebrate that
the times have changed.

Technically things are okay. The DVD included is a feature-only edition with
the film and no extras, save for a vintage trailer. The black and white picture
transfer is just fine with nice contrast levels. Sound is a simple mono and
clear enough.

#2 La Cage Aux Folles 1979 The original film that inspired both
a Broadway musical as well as the Hollywood remake The Birdcage. La
Cage Aux Folles is far and away the best way to see this story, as it sticks
to the original stage play very closely. It was an independent French farce that
ended up doing good box office in art houses across America, and it is cited as
one of the films that really started independent cinema trends here Stateside.
It may not have a big budget sheen, but it has the heart often missing in the
later works based on the material. The good-natured love story is about a gay
couple who own a drag show bar on the French Riviera. A son from a previous
straight marriage for one of the partners shows up and announces he is getting
married. So now the gay men have to "pretend" to be respectable
straights. And so the farce ensues, and many laughs are had along the way to the
rather sweet conclusion. It marks the birth of the modern gay romantic comedy,
and holds some brilliant physical comedy gags. It's a film that evokes a sense
of pride in how sophisticated and fun gay humor can be.

Technically we have another simply okay disc, and a VHS-level image. The DVD
has only the feature with a vintage trailer, so no supplements. The transfer
shows the film's age often looking soft and more than a little grainy. There are
specks and scratches on the print, yet it still looks charming enough to feel
worth watching since it recalls a more primitive time. Sound options include the
original French with English subtitles as well as the English dub for those who
wish to not read their films. In an interesting move, most of the original
French cast dubbed their own characters for the English language track. It's not
quite as dreadful as these things usually are.

#3 My Beautiful Launderette (1985) A gay Pakistani youth
(Gordon Warnecke) and his blue collar lover (Daniel Day Lewis, My Left
Foot) seek to turn around a failing business, a laundromat that they intend
to make fabulous. This is a deeply rich independent feature from England that
layered racial tensions and gay issues together to make an unexpected romantic
drama. It feels small and intimate, and originally was intended to be a TV
movie. Ironically enough it was based on a play. The movie remains a favorite
among fans of gay cinema, and it was quite ahead of its time with its rough and
tumble portrait of two men who'd rather roll up their sleeves rather than
perform in glittery make-up. That makes it a butch little film to be proud
of!

Technically it mirrors the previous two offerings. The DVD is a no-frills
affair with the film and a vintage trailer. The transfer looks old and faded,
rather dingy to say the least. Colors are washed out quite a bit, black levels
are not deep, and the grain washes over everything. There is a two channel mono
mix for the dialogue, and it is tinny and sometimes muffled. It is need of some
polishing, but it's here.

#4 The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
Probably the best drag queen film ever produced, it easily trumps the sad
American attempt at recapturing the magic with To Wong Foo, Thanks for
Everything, Julie Newmar. In retrospect, you really have to admire a cast
that included Hugo Weaving (The Matrix), Terrence Stamp (Superman
II), and Guy Pearce (Memento) starring as glittering
"showgirls" trudging through the desert outback of Australia on a
rickety old tour bus. Back then only Terrence was a huge action star, and the
other two were on the verge of big fame. Looking back it's miraculous to see
this cast in this story, and it's still mind-blowing to see the Oscar winning
costumes that often cost less than $7 to make. This was "drag on a
dime" darling, and it still looks "faaaaabbb-bu-lllous!" The
movie holds up well today, and still evokes a sense of pride in that gay and
glittery could still be dramatic and deep. The film paints such rich character
portraits that it's hard not to admire how brave it all seemed years ago.

This DVD edition only features the film with a good enough transfer and nice
soundtrack emulation. It is the bare bones first release, and not the superior,
enhanced, deluxe version that hit store shelves more recently. Colors pop
appropriately, although it looks overly dark and a bit aged. There are no
extras, save for the theatrical trailer. It seems a pity to offer the less
fabulous version, but there you are.

#5 The Birdcage (1996) Almost twenty years after La Cage Aux
Folles Hollywood finally got around to remaking it with a big budget, big
stars, and the legendary Mike Nichols (The Graduate) directing. It worked
like gangbusters in the sense that The Birdcage is to date the highest
grossing GLBT themed feature film (if we don't count Bruno as a truly gay
film). We get Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire) and Nathan Lane (The
Producers) as a couple who run a drag show bar in South Beach, Florida. When
one of their sons shows up to announce he is getting married the two gay
partners must play it straight with farcical results. The comedy is broad, the
pace is frenetic, and Williams and Lane play it for all it is worth. The only
problem is I never believe them as a couple like I did in the French original.
Hank Azaria (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian) easily
steals the show as the maid...well, at least until we get to see Gene Hackman
(The Firm) in drag during the finale. There's something to be proud
of!

Technically things are just okay again. The DVD is a flipper disc with a
widescreen transfer on one side and a fullscreen on the other. The visual
quality is pretty good with nice color saturation and a crisp clear image. Audio
is five channel surround which is also well done. There are no extras, save for
the predictable trailer.

#6 Bent (1997) This film was based on the stage play
"Bent" by Martin Sherman which ran for 241 performances in 1979 and
1980. It took almost twenty years to get the big screen treatment, but
Bent the film does an honorable job recreating the Tony-nominated play.
The cast is brilliant headed up by Clive Owen (Children of Men) and
Lothaire Bluteau (The Tudors). Ironically, Ian McKellen (The Lord of
the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring), who appears as Uncle Freddie in this
version, starred in the role of Max in the original London West End theatre
production in 1979. Also in the cast is a surprisingly effective turn by Rolling
Stones front man Mick Jagger as a flamboyant drag queen who sings at a decadent
Berlin club. The narrative is about a gay man who ends up in a concentration
camp where he quickly learns it is better to pretend he is Jewish rather than
gay. Yet a fellow prisoner reminds him that his identity is crucial to his soul,
and gives him the courage to come out. It's a heavy lesson in the cost of
freedom and pride.

The DVD is a bare bones edition with only the trailer as a supplement. Yet
the transfer is nice enough with clear images and saturated colors. Sound is a
simple stereo.

#7 The Object of My Affection (1998) A slight, but likable,
romantic comedy with Jennifer Anniston (Friends) and Paul Rudd
(Knocked Up) as good friends. She's pregnant and alone by choice, and he
is a gay man who wants to help her. It's an improbable romantic comedy where we
sit there knowing this can't end well, but we smile and nod throughout. I love
the actors, but find the story rather simple and uninspired. It's not much to be
proud of other than the fact it furthered us down the road of gay being
accepted. It made me proud that a gay character could romance Jennifer Anniston
in a bland romantic comedy, an honor usually reserved for straight people.
Progress takes some odd forms!

The treatment is actually better on this one. The DVD actually has a
making-of featurette! There is a special feature for once, someone pick my jaw
up off the floor. It's about three minutes long, but talking heads never looked
so good after six bare bones DVDs. The transfer is okay, although it does look a
little underwhelming and flat. Sound is a full surround mix, and it makes the
film pop audibly.

#8 Boys Don't Cry (1999) It was the little independent film
that could, and it won Hilary Swank (Amelia) an Oscar for portraying
Brandon Teena, a real-life notable figure in the community. It's the story of a
transgender, biologically born female who's life takes a tragic turn once he
begins living as a male. Chloë Sevigny (The Last Days of Disco)
plays the love interest who can't save her boyfriend from the prejudices of
small town America. It's a brilliant film about gender identity, and the one
representation of a transgender identified individual in the collection. Swank
gives the performance of a lifetime here, and the film is certainly one to
inspire pride and compassion.

The DVD comes with a making-of featurette, a director's commentary, and a
collection of trailers. It's the loaded disc of the collection so far! Actually,
this one deserves the most extras as it is probably the most accomplished film
in the set when we look at how much it achieves. Visually, the film is dark, but
looks good on DVD. Sound is a nice dramatic full surround treatment.

#9 Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) A light romantic comedy about a
girl who flirts with being a lesbian, but in the end just ends up a good friend.
Kissing Jessica Stein stars Jennifer Westfeldt (Two Guys, a Girl and a
Pizza Place) as the bi-curious woman who is so sick of men she considers
settling down with a woman. Yet when push comes to shove, she realizes she is
only wanting the companionship of women and prefers romance from men. Oddly
enough, this is another of the features that is based on a stage play. It's a
movie that takes pride in the fluidity of women's sexuality, and somehow comes
off good-natured despite the rather strange "out of the closet" then
"right back in" approach from the lead character.

The DVD is another packed to the rafters one. It includes deleted scenes, a
making-of featurette, and two commentaries including a director one and
actresses one featuring both the lead and her love interest. The film itself
looks good, although the budget limitations show up in the visual presentation.
Sound options include a full surround five speaker treatment which does great
with the dialogue and music.

#10 Imagine Me & You 2006 A woman (Piper Perabo, Lost
and Delirious) finds herself attracted to her florist (Lena Headey,
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) at her wedding. She doesn't stop
the nuptials, but that doesn't end the attraction. It's an okay romantic comedy,
although it reminds me a bit of the faux lesbian we saw in Kissing Jessica
Stein, yet with a far more satisfying ending. This one proves that
experimentation with same sex attraction is natural and not the horror show that
something like The Children's Hour portrayed forty-five years before. In
fact, this one celebrates a woman finally coming out and not being shunned or
becoming suicidal as a result. Let's hear it for the love that was once called
"unnatural" when Shirley MacLaine felt it!

This disc is stuffed. It's another loaded DVD with a director's commentary
and filmmaker and cast Q&A session. Picture is perfectly fine with a very
clean transfer that does well with recreating the film on the small screen.

The Cinema Pride Collection is hardly balanced, when you consider six
of the films are about gay guys, three are about lesbians who aren't always
committed lesbians, and only one deals with a transgender individual. So the
girls get short shrift as do those who question gender identity. Yet we can
still say that these DVDs do a certain justice, providing us with a nice history
of the celluloid "out of the closet" images on the big screen. We've
come a long way, and these films prove it. The only downside is, if you're a
member of the GLBT community and a cinema fan, don't you own most of these
already? If you do, be proud; you've beaten them to the punch. But for the rest
of you pride slackers, here's your chance to catch up and ride our float in the
parade.